Oklahoma Sooners: Corey Holmes

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Oklahoma is hoping to sneak back into the picture with ESPN 150 receiver Corey Holmes (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) since he came out with his top two schools. Notre Dame and UCLA are the teams to beat for now, but Holmes said there is still a chance that can change.

The Opening will get under way next week with several of the nation’s top recruits competing in Beaverton, Ore., to show who could be the top player in America for the Class of 2014. Several Oklahoma targets will be in Oregon showing off their talents, so here’s a look at a few Sooners storylines for The Opening.

The Opening, presented by Nike, will feature 162 of the best high school football players in the country. The event, which will include linemen, 7-on-7 and SPARQ testing competitions, is set to run from June 30 to July 3 at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

The first thing that jumps out about team Apocalypse is the talent in the defensive front seven. Team Apocalypse will be led by five-star defensive end Da'Shawn Hand and inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan. Hand, from Woodbridge, Va., is the No. 4-ranked player in the country, while McMillan was recently bumped up to a five-star linebacker. Joining Hand and McMillan along the front seven are ESPN 300 defensive linemen Anthony Moten and Ainuu Taua, and linebackers D.J. Calhoun and Rashaan Evans.

Offensively, team Apocalypse has no shortage of playmakers. ESPN 300 wide receivers Artavis Scott, K.D. Cannon and Michiah Quick will provide explosiveness in the passing game, while athletic running backs Joe Mixon and Royce Freeman will provide athletic and reliable targets out of the backfield.

Seven-on-seven events are always geared towards the offense, but with five-star defensive back Adoree' Jackson, No. 3-ranked safety Jamal Adams, and ESPN 300 cornerback Adarius Pickett in the secondary, the Field Generals should more than hold their own. New Ohio State defensive end commit Jalyn Holmes and the No. 6-ranked defensive end in the country, Solomon Thomas, will be two to watch along the defensive line.

The Landsharks have some big-time talent along each line of scrimmage. Led by five-star offensive tackle Cameron Robinson, the Landsharks also feature ESPN 300 offensive guard Corey Martinez. ESPN 300 defensive linemen Gerald Willis III and Thomas Holley, as well as ESPN 300 defensive end Chad Thomas, will form a very physical and athletic defensive line.

Every Friday, SoonerNation releases the Sooner Intel, a sneak peek inside Oklahoma Sooners football recruiting with news and notes on the latest happenings around the program. Talk about it on our forum. A few things discussed in this week's update:

The three things OU commit Todd looked for when deciding to pledge.

OU's top tight end target gets to know his possible future position coach.

OU's running back commit is still hearing from the Longhorns.

A top in-state target couldn't stay at the spring game long, but he talked to Bob and Mike Stoops before the game.

It was a full-court press on Saturday for a top Texas offensive tackle.

The Sooners had a lineman from Wyoming at the spring game.

Receivers coach Jay Norvell compares a Florida receiver to a former Sooners star.

The first ESPN 150 has been released with one of Oklahoma’s four commits making the cut in Under Armour All-American Justice Hansen (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe).

That doesn’t mean it’s a weak class for the Sooners as the list is peppered with top targets. Adding some of these 10 prospects -- listed from highest to lowest rank -- would be a great way to get OU back up in the recruiting rankings:

Corey Holmes' interest in Oklahoma didn't happen when the Sooners showed interest in the ESPN Watch List receiver. Holmes (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) has had his eye on the Sooners for years.

"I’ve always liked Oklahoma," he said. "I watched them when they came down to play Florida in the national championship game."

Every Friday, SoonerNation releases the Sooner Intel, a sneak peek inside Oklahoma Sooners football recruiting with news and notes on the latest happenings around the program. Talk about it on our forum. A few things discussed in this week's update:

Why judgment day looms for the Sooners' top target.

A Florida receiver is excited about visiting the Sooners this weekend.

An OU signee talks about his first trip to Norman.

One of the Sooners' top offensive line targets is making a return trip this spring.

Not every position has gone smoothly for Oklahoma on the recruiting trail the last few years. But if there’s one spot OU fans can usually feel comfortable with, wide receiver is definitely up there.

Year after year, wide receivers coach Jay Norvell has done a tremendous job bringing in top talent. And every offseason during which the Sooners are able to keep Norvell from taking another job simply means more good things to come for OU.

Bob Przybylo/ESPN.comIt's early, but WR target Nick Alexander looks promising for OU, considering two teammates have also committed to the Sooners.

The Class of 2014 was off to a great start with ESPN Watch List receiver Armanti Foreman (Texas City, Texas/Texas City) having committed in October. But several top schools have been in pursuit of him and combined with Foreman's desire to play with his brother, he decommitted from the Sooners on Monday night.

Foreman isn't out of the picture. But if he is, that's something OU can adjust to because Norvell has more tricks up his sleeve and already has offered several quality names: